Harber London Everyday Leather Briefcase review: A stylish business travel companion
Perfect for your everyday carry, this leather briefcase from Harber has space for a laptop, tablet, notebook, accessories and more
The Harber London Everyday Leather Briefcase is a compact and stylish way to carry a laptop, tablet and accessories. It has integrated pen and notebook holders, a magnetic keychain, and a strap for attaching to the handle of your carry-on suitcase, making it the perfect business travel companion.
-
+
Space for 13-inch laptop and 11-inch tablet
-
+
Soft full-grain leather
-
+
Attaches to suitcase handle
-
-
Not as spacious as it looks
-
-
Shoulder strap feels like an afterthought
-
-
Some pockets less useful than others
Why you can trust T3
In T3's Harber London Everyday Leather Briefcase review, I put this stylish and practical bag to the test to see if it rivals some of the best laptop bags.
Harber London makes a wide range of beautiful leather bags, sleeves cases and accessories for almost every tech product in your life. For this review, we’re looking at the company’s Everyday Leather Briefcase, which is available in three colours – tan, black and deep brown – and two sizes suitable for laptops of 13/14 inches and 15/16 inches. All versions are priced at £379.
I tested out the smaller model for this review, with the tan colour option. Inside there’s space for a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and I also tried a 13-inch MacBook Air, which naturally takes up slightly less space in the lightly padded laptop compartment. There’s space for an 11-inch iPad Pro on the opposite side of the briefcase, plus further space for a Kindle and accessories like cables and a compact charger.
The briefcase has five internal pockets of various sizes, plus three leather straps for securing pens or a tablet stylus, and one larger strap for holding something like a small notebook or a bunch of cables. There’s a great deal of flexibility here, with the pockets all a fairly generic size and suited to a broad range of everyday carry items. Harber London also includes a handy keychain that snaps magnetically into place and gives you somewhere to store your keys deep inside the bag while travelling.
I found the briefcase gets full pretty quickly, especially when tasked with storing a 14-inch laptop and 11-inch tablet. Once those are in place, there’s not much flexibility for anything else, beyond a few small accessories, perhaps a sunglasses case and maybe a small magazine.
I took the briefcase on a long-haul flight to California and, while a wonderfully stylish way to carry my laptop and tablet, the briefcase only just provided enough space for everything I needed on the 11-hour flight. That said, I really liked the integrated suitcase strap, which is fitted to the back of the briefcase and slots neatly onto the extended handle of a carry-on bag.
Less successful is the shoulder strap, which clips onto the briefcase’s handles. It’s easy to install and is adjustable but quite narrow so isn’t the most comfortable option, especially if the briefcase is full and fairly heavy. I didn’t like how the handles are left to flop down when using the shoulder strap, taking away from what is otherwise a very attractive briefcase.
Afterthought shoulder strap aside, I’ve really enjoyed using the Harber briefcase. It’s a great size, the handles are comfortable to hold for long periods, it provides a decent amount of protection for a laptop and tablet, and offers up space for a handful of travel essentials too. The leather is wonderfully soft and buttery, while giving the impression of being highly durable. I reckon it’ll age beautifully once it starts to crease and gain a well-used patina.
Harber London Everyday Leather Briefcase review: verdict
I admit that I really pushed this briefcase to its limit, by swapping out my trusty (and much larger) backpack for the briefcase during a five-day transatlantic work trip. But I’ve also used it for everyday tasks like lunch meetings in the city, and it performed perfectly.
The key is to not fill every single compartment, but pack it only with the essentials. Slot in a laptop or a tablet, plus a couple of accessories, sunglasses and maybe a small bottle of fragrance or hand sanitiser, and you have a fantastic briefcase that's compact, comfortable and stylish.
If you like the Harber London aesthetic but need a bit more space, check out T3's five-star review of the company’s larger Laptop Briefcase, complete with full-leather interior and extra storage compartments.
- Best backpacks: for school, your commute, or travel
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Alistair is a freelance automotive and technology journalist. He has bylines on esteemed sites such as the BBC, Forbes, TechRadar, and of best of all, T3, where he covers topics ranging from classic cars and men's lifestyle, to smart home technology, phones, electric cars, autonomy, Swiss watches, and much more besides. He is an experienced journalist, writing news, features, interviews and product reviews. If that didn't make him busy enough, he is also the co-host of the AutoChat podcast.
-
This is the exact date you should turn your heating on, reveals energy expert
Heat your house while keeping your bills down with these heating tips
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Amazfit T-Rex 3 review: The affordable adventurer’s answer to Garmin
Adventure-ready and budget-friendly with just a few software setbacks
By Matt Buckley Published
-
HEiST 3.0 Men’s Hair Dryer review: powerful, protective and perfect for styling
Is the world's first men's hair dryer actually effective?
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Oclean Flow Sonic Electric Toothbrush review: enjoy the power of sonic cleaning on a budget
Always forgetting to charge your toothbrush? This one has a battery that lasts for six months!
By Joanna Ebsworth Published
-
Oclean X Ultra S Smart Toothbrush review: powerful cleaning, clever app and reliable advice
Looking for an electric toothbrush that isn’t Philips or Oral-B? Then this is your best bet
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Higher Dose Red Light Hat review: a daily habit for stronger hair
Wearing this red light hat for 10 minutes a day can help strengthen and regrow hair over time
By Lizzy Briskin Published
-
Harber London Overnight Bag review: this 42-litre hold-all is perfect for your next night away
The Overnight Bag by Harber London combines luxurious leather and hard-wearing recycled fabric with a generous capacity and stylish design
By Alistair Charlton Published
-
Monos Metro Tote review: a lightweight, spacious and chic travel bag
With plenty of pockets and an ample zippered interior, the Monos Metro Tote is versatile enough to stow under an airplane seat or pack for a picnic
By Lizzy Briskin Published
-
Harber London Commuter Backpack review: have I finally found the perfect backpack?
Simple, stylish and spacious, this backpack has a lot going for it, but falls short on perfection
By Alistair Charlton Published
-
Columbia Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Insulated Jacket review: a stellar coat made with real rocket science
This jacket literally incorporates space-travel technology to keep you warm in the most wickedly wintery conditions
By Pat Kinsella Last updated